Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter 61: Tu Lichen was ordered to patrol Bingzhou during the Lantern Festival and ridiculed Zhongzhi
Hearing this sound, dozens of officials with brilliant feathers in front of the flower hall, from the chief envoy, the inspector to the various officials, and a large group of criminal names, masters of money and food, and more than a dozen gentry and elders in the provincial capital all looked at each other and stopped. Zhuo stood up, not knowing what bad luck this sticky-toothed passing imperial envoy was looking for.Nuo Min gave a slight nod to Tu Lichen, who was sitting firmly in the chair, and hurriedly got up to leave the table, also looking flustered.It was only then that Tu Lichen realized that Tian Wenjing had committed many evils in Taiyuan.He kept his composure, murmured while holding a wine glass, and saw Tian Wenjing hurried in wearing a heron suit and a white nipple glass top.

"I heard that the imperial envoy Tu has arrived?" Tian Wenjing and Nuo Min bowed to each other, and they looked away as soon as they met.Tian Wenjing glanced at the crowd and asked, "Is this here? Let the officials pay homage to you!" Tu Lichen realized that Tian Wenjing's eyes were short-sighted, and he couldn't see clearly when he was sitting in the center in a yellow mandarin jacket, and smiled. He stood up with a smile and said, "I am Tu Lichen." Tian Wenjing then turned around, took a step forward, flung his horseshoe sleeves and knelt down, and said in a loud voice, "Tian Wenjing, the envoy of the imperial envoy West Road Xuanzhi, knocked on the imperial envoy Shanxi Xuanzhi envoy. Tu Lichen! Chentian Wenjing respectfully invites Shengan!"

The imperial envoy kowtowed to the imperial envoy!This is the truth, but it is indeed a superfluous sentence.Seeing Tian Wenjing's unyielding strength, everyone wanted to laugh but didn't dare.For a moment, there was no one at the big banquet, only the faint sound of firecrackers that sounded like gruel being boiled outside the Yamen—it was time to miss the third watch, and it was time for the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.Tu Lichen was also taken aback by Tian Wenjing, but at this moment he said that Tianxian held a lot of power, so why did he put Tian Wenjing in his eyes?After a short pause, he said coldly: "Saint Boon! The imperial envoy Tu Lichen is ashamed to receive your big gift - don't get up in a hurry, I have something to ask you!"

"I respectfully listen to the oracle!"

"Ask Tian Wenjing by order," Tu Lichen said, "Tian Wenjing is a small official of the capital, and he was ordered to deliver the decree to Gengyao in Xidaying. He was originally a special messenger, and he was not entrusted to collect stories along the way and interfere with local government affairs. Why do you want to make a fuss out of nothing, playing the role of Nuo Min, the governor of Shanxi, who is greedy for merit and favor, to flatter the present? Am I the one who can be bullied?" After finishing speaking, he stared at Tian Wenjing.Tian Wenjing took his time and kowtowed his head and replied: "I was ordered to go west on a special mission, but the Ministry of Household Affairs has repeatedly received strict orders to clean up the finances of Shanxi, Zhili, Shandong, and Henan provinces within a time limit. The orders have been recorded and handed over to the emperor. Shi Shoucun. It is because the minister intervened in the Shanxi deficit case, not as an imperial envoy, but as an officer of the household department to inspect the Shanxi vassal treasury. The status of the minister and Nuo Min is very different and there is no old enmity. Lord of deceit, dare not dereliction of duty lightly, begging the Holy Spirit to enlighten you!"

This remark exceeded people's expectations, and even Nuo Min couldn't help being stunned, her face flushed immediately, and she really wanted to interject and ask, "Why didn't you say earlier that you checked as a member of the household department"?But now Tu Lichen is interrogating on behalf of the emperor, no matter who interjects, he is deceiving the emperor, so he swallowed dryly, staring at this thorny official who came to Shanxi for no reason to make trouble, the fire in his heart arched. Go up.Tu Lichen was also very surprised, but at this time he could only ask questions according to the order, because he said: "Today, the deficit in Shanxi Tong Province has been fully compensated. Now that you have checked it out, can the bank account match?"

"Not bad!"

"Since the penny is not bad," Tu Lichen recited Yongzheng's original words, "You have insulted people's reputation for no reason, why is it sincere? What is the sincerity? It is enough to prove that my heart promises that Nuomin is the world's number one minister. Absurd. If Nuomin is a little deceptive, I will have no face to the world! Ask Er Tian Wenjing, what else can I say to me?" After reciting, his eyes were aggressive, and he stared at Tian Wenjing without saying a word.

Tian Wenjing licked his lips, Yongzheng's words were so tricky and fierce, neither he nor Wu Sidao thought of it, and protecting Nuo Min to this extent was even more unexpected, if he continued to argue, then It's not a confrontation with Nuo Min, but a direct sweep of Yongzheng's face.Tian Wenjing pondered for a while, then kowtowed and replied: "I am stupid. Nuo Min is indeed the 'No. [-] minister in the world'. Long live the question so far, what else can I say? Fuwei Shengju!"

"Come on!" Tu Lichen shouted with burning eyes, "Remove Tian Wenjing's top hat!"

"tie!"

The two soldiers agreed and stepped forward.Tian Wenjing waved his hand, and with a pale face and trembling hands, he unscrewed the knob on the top of the Nirvana glass and handed it over.

"Master Tian," Tu Lichen smiled slightly, and personally stepped forward to help Tian Wenjing with both hands, "don't be so depressed. If you mess up the job, you will be dismissed from the post and go to the top. There are thousands of opinions. The ups and downs of the official career are ordinary things, and the crown can be a companion Come on, let’s have some wine, I’m going to surprise you!” Nuo Min hurriedly asked someone to pour the wine, held it up with both hands to offer to Tian Wenjing, and said with a smile: “Wenjing, it’s more than one month in Jin Dynasty, so it’s a shame to be a master! Thinking about it, it was just a nightmare, as if it happened yesterday. My lord here can testify that my brother is being severely reprimanded by the emperor today, and it is not because of my brother's slander... I think Wenjing will return to Beijing, and the court must have a kind order." Tian Wenjing listened Hearing Nuo Min's hypocritical consolation, without saying a word, he took the wine glass, drank it down, and showed the bottom of the glass to everyone.He went straight to the upper table and sat upright, with a look of indifference. Seeing his courage, Tu Lichen suddenly had a thought: "This man is a hero!" Nuo Min was so happy that he was drunk He seemed to be walking around with his hands behind his back, just wanting to laugh but afraid of losing his composure. Everyone thought he was searching for a poem, but they saw him wave his hand and say, "Set off the big firecrackers! Let off the fireworks!"

As the firecrackers "bang bang" sounded like thunder one after another, twelve boxes of fireworks spewed out flowers, clouds, mist and streamers, reflecting the colorful colors on the table.A round moon spreads the silvery veil to the earth like a veil, and in the misty azure light sits this group of officials and gentry who have different ideas and raise their glasses to persuade them to drink, which is quite interesting.

After a while, the wine was hot, and people gradually talked more and more.At the beginning, they talked about antiques, Shang Yi, Zhou Ding, Qin bricks and Han tiles, and then some people talked about rhythm, such as one breath, two bodies, three categories, four objects, five tones, six rhythms, seven tones, eight winds and nine songs. .On the contrary, Nuo Min, Tian Wenjing, and Tu Lichen, the chiefs at the table, had nothing to talk about, one didn't want to talk, and the other didn't want to talk.

"Why are the three adults sitting bored?" A drunken county magistrate staggered up, poured wine for the three of them one by one, and said at the same time: "It's a happy day... two imperial envoys—uh How do you eat dry wine? I... I'll tell you a joke... a joke!" He stared at Tian Wenjing.When Tian Wenjing looked at it, it was Pan Gui, the magistrate of Baishan County. This time, he was the first one to clear up the deficit. He knew that he must have come to ridicule him. 'Pangui' (Pangui) is all. But I am no longer 'gui', so I just listen to jokes." Pan Gui pretended to be crazy with wine, and said: "My lord, I said... say It’s a real story! Well... I was born in the 57th year of Kangxi. I passed through Puyang and missed Sutou. I didn’t go to Bacun before and I didn’t go to Badian. I had to sleep on a mound. ghost!"

At this point, Pan Gui became more articulate and no longer stuttered.The people in the house all stopped talking when they heard the evil magistrate talking about ghosts.Just listen to Pan Gui say: "It was July [-]th, and the night was already cold. The cold woke me up in the middle of the night. I pulled the quilt and was about to go back to sleep when I heard a few people over there reciting poetry..."

"I thought, at this hour, there are still people working hard? When I looked up, there were four people sitting on the beach west of Qiao. One was about fifty years old, one was in his forties, and two were in their eighteenth or nineteenth century. All the time, their faces were full of sourness. The old man said: "Yesterday there was a heavy storm, but tonight there is a beautiful moonlight, let's write a composition on a topic and try our best!" The three people said, "Yes"! So the old man started from I took out a few paper balls from the boot pages and distributed them to three people. The four of them closed their eyes and frowned, shaking their heads and scratching their ears to think about the problem. At this time, a gust of wind blew over, and I shivered. I knew in my heart that they must not be human, but I wanted to hear it. If you listen to what they say, it might be useful on the field."

"After about a meal, I heard the old man sigh and say: 'Today, my literary skills are dull, I just want to come up with a good idea, what can I do?' Several ghosts also echoed, 'Really, tonight I don't know why, I just want to come up with a broken problem and can’t do it anymore.'"

"I thought, this must be the ghosts and gods instructing me on the exam questions. I paid attention, and saw the old man take the middle-aged man's paper and said, "Well, good! ——'Looking at the cause and the cause, observing the place is safe and people are Yanyu! "—Wonderful!'

"What's so wonderful about breaking the topic at this time? I was suspicious in my heart. In the midst of confusion, the old man commented again, 'The first sentence can be regarded as the hero's consensus, but the second sentence seems not to be comprehensive. You listen to me - —'Look at the reason and see where it is, and see where it is and what it is' - how about that?'"

"The ghosts immediately burst into laughter, applauded in admiration. The old man twirled his beard and said with a smile, 'Composition is a matter of a hair's breadth. The reason why you have always been in the fifth class while you are alive, and I seem to be at the bottom of the fourth class, is actually because of me. There are no questions left in the essay.' Hearing these two couplets of bullshit answers to his questions, and feeling so complacent, I covered my quilt and laughed to myself. Then I heard the old man ask the two young ghosts, 'You are young and quick-thinking, how can you do backwards? A blank paper?' A young ghost said, 'How can I compare with the teacher? You are a person who has gone to the examination room three times. Although you are not serious about getting fame, you still got a title. I hate the exam because I am afraid of it. A dull man can only dig into the pile of money, but he still cares about writing an essay?'"

"As he said that, the two young ghosts dug out a lot of shining gold money from the sand with their hands and said, 'A good ghost is a good ghost if he has the ability to make money. In this world, who can comment?'"

"Hearing this, I couldn't bear it anymore. I stretched my neck and stood up and yelled, 'Xuezheng is here. Whether it's a human or a ghost, we will be determined by the article! A ghost dragged me into the water, how should I deal with it? Unexpectedly, when the four of them heard that no matter human or ghost, they were all destined to die, they were so frightened that they froze on the ground, their faces were ashen, their bodies trembled and turned into a black mist, dying— ——I thought they got money out of the treasury, but when I went to see it, I was very disappointed——it’s all fucking paper money!”

When Pan Gui said this, he stared at Tian Wenjing with a blushing face, and said with a grin: "Master Tian, ​​is the ghost story I'm telling you pleasant?" There are bones in Gui's words, and he clearly pointed out that Tian Wenjing "went to the examination room three times" to lose his name to Sun Shan, relied on donations to become an official, and borrowed paper money to ridicule him for "taking money from the vassal treasury" and searching for money in every possible way.Although this story is not surprising, it fits everyone's heart.So everyone echoed:
"Pan Ling deserves to be a true Jinshi. He is good at exorcising ghosts!"

"Determining fate with articles, good!"

"The ghost was driven away. Didn't you, Lao Pan, beat him by the river?"

Everyone was chatting and laughing, and they all looked at Tian Wenjing, who had been removed from office and had not yet been dismissed.Tian Wenjing's eyes were straight and he didn't look at Pan Gui. He stared quietly at the gradually extinguished fireworks box. After a while, he took a heavy breath and said, "You are the magistrate of Baishan County. There are eighteen hell clay sculptures on the slope of Baishan Mountain. .In your opinion, those are just clay puppets, not worth mentioning, but I saw a lot of feelings. So many devout men and women brought cigarettes and fruits to worship, what are they trying to do? You are greedy for money, and you have a dark heart, so you use these vain incense sticks to deceive ghosts and gods, so that you will not be burned by fire." His voice was not high, but there was a sound of gold and stone in every sentence.Everyone has a heart disease, and they were speechless for a while, only looking at the burning coal of Bangmai Volcano West. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, high-quality coal is often used to set up coal-made stoves in courtyards and streets. Renxu, shaped like a stick, can be used for heating and viewing, so it is called "stick fire". ——Original note.Preoccupied.

Nuo Min was originally very happy. The new emperor ascended to the throne, and the ministers and officials were not familiar with it. He was praised as "the best minister in the world". What a glorious and honorable thing it was?But for some reason, facing the two imperial envoys, I gradually felt a little uneasy.It was reasonable for Tian Wenjing to refuse to accept the blame. How could a young man like Tu Lichen be so arrogant and arrogant that he didn't say a word during the banquet and only drank one cup on the left and one on the right?Thinking about it, he stood up and said with a smile: "Why are you eating dry wine? If anyone has a joke, tell me one to explain to Master Tu!" "There are no jokes," an official sitting at the second table got up and came to Tu Li At Chen's table, he held a cup and served the three of them drinks, and said, "The humble post is Sha Benji, the magistrate of Taiyuan County. Lord Tian checked the vassal treasury, and he accompanied him in the beginning. It was not me who covered my face with wine and acted like Lord Jian. When you wanted to check the accounts, I How do you advise me? When Nuo Zhongcheng took office, the first thing he did was to clean up the vassal treasury. He even joined 23 officials who were in deficit more than ten thousand taels of silver, all of whom were praised by the Holy Ancestor when he was in power! My lord, I am trying to persuade you while drunk. In other words, don’t do to others what you don’t want others to do to you, let alone if you are not upright yourself, how can you be upright to others?”

In addition to proclaiming the decree, Tu Lichen originally had a secret edict from Yongzheng to "observe the style of officials in Jin Province". The purpose of the explicit decree and the secret decree are slightly different. Seeing that everyone had a fit of drinking, embarrassing Tian Wenjing, and flattering Nuo Min, he felt disdainful, so he slowly put down his wine glass and asked, "Sha Ling, I don't understand what you said. Don't do what you don't want." It’s justifiable to others. What does it mean that you can’t correct others if you don’t correct yourself?”

"Master Tu", Tian Wenjing arched his hands and said, "Such a foolish and ignorant person, you don't have to argue with him. He just saw me unlucky, so he came here to fight for someone. It's human nature for everyone to push the wall down." He snorted He sneered and said, "Thinking that I, Tian, ​​is so easy to deal with? Tell you that the surname is Sha, it's easy to wake up from sweet dreams, but it's hard to ripen yellow beams! If you don't clear up the deficit case here, I will never cross the Fen River!"

"How can I be a foolish and ignorant person!?"

"Your nickname is 'Killing Unstoppable', and you work as the boss of Qu'a, knocking down the little people, and your name matches your reality, so you are stupid and ignorant!" Tian Wenjing blushed, and slapped the case lightly, "In the beginning, you checked the library, you Running after me like a dog's tail, and now with this face, I would like to add, you are stubborn and shameless! Tell you all, I have used my imperial envoys to seal your treasury!"

Tian Wenjing and Sha Benji turned against each other in public, and everyone was stunned, and the words "seal the treasury" were even more shocking.Dozens of officials looked at each other in blank dismay, and all stared at Tian Wenjing, wondering what kind of disease he had, and dared to be so bold.

"The one surnamed Tian," Nuo Min couldn't help changing color, and stood up as soon as she pushed the table, "Seize the treasury, I want to ask for the holy order! As the governor of Shanxi, I don't have the right! You are a little Cao, disturb I, the Shanxi government affairs officer, see that you are an imperial envoy, how much face have I saved for you? How dare you be so crazy! - You are an official who has been removed from the top, come! Remove him!"

Several Goshhas agreed with a "Zha" and came over aggressively. Tian Wenjing stood up "swipe", pushed down the chair he was sitting on with a gloomy face, and said firmly: "I have already Send people [-] miles to urgently hand over the memorial to the emperor. Don’t want your life, don’t want to be an official, you must solve the Shanxi liquidation case!”

"You are arrogant!" Nuo Min roared, "The emperor sent a court order yesterday, ordering me to withdraw [-] silver from the treasury to relieve the spring famine at Yanmen Pass. If you seal the treasury, one person in Shanxi will starve to death. .”

Tu Lichen had already stood up, and Xu Bu paced around the stick fire, thinking nervously.Closing the feudal treasury is the most important thing, which is equivalent to stopping the province's finances. If it is wrongly sealed, Tian Wenjing really has only a dead end.But Tian Wenjing knew this, so why was he so reckless?He knew that he was also involved at this moment, and he had to have a clear attitude between Nuo Min and Tian Wenjing. Thinking about it, he walked up to Tian Wenjing and asked, "Why?" Even Nuo Min couldn't help shivering.

"Responding to Mr. Tu's words," Tian Wenjing said with a slight bow, "Nuo Min's people trespassed on my imperial envoy in the posthouse, and took the person in my hand to prove Qiao Yindi. Therefore, I suspected that his Ku Yin was not real, so I sealed it up first. A scholar can be killed but cannot be humiliated, Nuo Min insults me too much, not to mention I am an imperial envoy, Nuo Min insults the emperor even more. I just can't tolerate him!"

Tu Lichen turned his face and asked: "Master Nuo Min, is there such a thing?" Nuo Min nodded and said: "It's the bitch I just mentioned. This matter is handled by the Taiyuan City Gate. I don't think There was nothing wrong. Tian Wenjing was originally not an imperial envoy, but only an imperial envoy, so the post house was not an imperial envoy. The Emperor Shengzu had issued an edict long ago, and civil and military officials were not allowed to visit prostitutes. Tian Wenjing said that Qiao Yindi was a My witness in the case of Shanxi’s shortfall of treasury and silver should have been sent to the yamen for custody pending trial. Why should she be kept in a posthouse? Besides, Tian Wenjing himself has admitted that the treasury’s bank accounts are cleared, and even Tian Wenjing should False accusation instead. Qiao Yindi sued the government by the people, she was already guilty, and the accusation was false, shouldn't she be arrested and brought to justice?"

Nuo Min had worked in the Ministry of Punishment for two years, and was familiar with the "Great Qing Law", and the old officials were familiar with it, and she spoke plausibly, but Tian Wenjing suddenly interjected coldly: "Master Nuo, what evidence do you have that I am a prostitute?" Prostitute? Today’s mansion reported that the Lord of Long Live’s strict decree reaffirmed that the governors of all regions must respectfully obey the imperial edict before the coffin of Long Live, and mourn for the Holy Father for three years. The Taiyuan City set off fireworks, and why? Tell me, My student doesn't understand! You have to know that the Zi Palace of the first emperor is still in Da Nei, and he died less than three months ago. How dare you ask what you are congratulating? To tell you the truth, I have not only sealed up the treasury, but also posted a notice; The gentry and merchants have silver accounts with the treasury, and they will be settled within three days. After three days, the Shanxi treasury silver will be transported to Nanjing for recasting. I don’t think Master Nuo will be happy when he hears the news, right?”

As if a thunderbolt had exploded out of thin air, there was a dead silence at the banquet, as silent as a barren mountain and an ancient temple, and then there was a humming sound at the banquet of the gentry, but they didn't know what they were talking about.

"What?" Sweat broke out on Nuo Min's head suddenly, Qi Qi Ai asked, "300 million taels... all sent to Nanjing?" "That's right." Tian Wenjing raised his face arrogantly, took out the hookah from his arms, and The candlelight ignited the fire medium, lit the cigarette, and puffed out the clouds and said: "All go away." Nuo Min's face was blue and red, her heart was beating suddenly, her hands were wet and sticky with cold sweat, and it took half a day to recover Come on, gritted his teeth and stared at Tian Wenjing, who was smoking a hookah with hatred, and said with a chuckle, "The Taiyuan Silver Foundry casts 'water system' silver, which is the same type as the Beijing ingot. It has been used in the world for more than three hundred years, and its fineness can reach nine Seventy-eight nine seven-eight means the purity can reach 97.8%. ——Original note, why did you send it to Nanjing for casting?"

"Because I don't trust you officials from Shanxi!" Tian Wen said without raising his smile in the camera. "The 290 officials from the whole province worked their hands up and down to contact and deceive the imperial court. You have committed a heinous crime of deceiving the emperor! You have hit a hard nail!"

Turichen was also stunned.It was the first time for him to be involved in local administration, and he didn't understand the monstrous skills of officials from other provinces in cheating on money.He only knows that it is a big deal to seal up the treasury without asking for an order, but he doesn't understand the power of this notice!Thinking about it, Tu Lichen turned to Nuo Min and said, "This matter is too serious. Mr. Nuo, what regulations do you have?"

"My charter is to unpack immediately!" Nuo Min suddenly yelled out of composure, "Tear down this notice immediately!"

Tian Wenjing blew out the fire matcher in one gulp, glanced at everyone contemptuously, walked up to Tulichen Xu Bu, bowed slightly and said, "Master Tu!"

"Well".

"I want to lend you something."

"what?"

"I'll lend you a bag of cigarettes," Tian Wenjing coughed dryly, and gave up his hand, "Can you stop talking on the wall of the flower hall?"

Tu Lichen really wanted to know what kind of medicine was sold in Tian Wenjing's gourd, so he nodded.As soon as he turned around, Nuo Min said loudly: "Is there anything to tell? Say it in front of everyone!" Tu Lichen didn't seem to hear it, and followed Tian Wenjing into the flower hall with a glance. Guarded the gate under the eaves of the flower hall.

注释
①It is said that dipping red hot charcoal in vinegar can ward off evil spirits and avoid ghosts.In the old days, when someone died in a hotel, this method was used to disinfect the room. ——Original note.

(End of this chapter)